System and method for deploying coils of spoolable pipe

ABSTRACT

A system for deploying a coil of spoolable pipe from a vessel includes a first tower configured to move longitudinally and transversely along a first track coupled to the vessel, a second tower configured to move longitudinally along a second track coupled to the vessel, and a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower. The first tower is configured to insert the coil drum assembly transversely into an interior channel of the coil when the coil drum assembly is in a retracted position, the coil drum assembly is configured to support the coil when the coil drum assembly is in an extended position and rotate during deployment of the spoolable pipe, and the first tower and the second tower are configured to move the coil drum assembly vertically.

This application claims the benefit, and priority benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/633,687 filed on Feb. 22, 2018, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Flexible pipe is useful in a myriad of environments, including in theoil and gas industry. Flexible pipe may be durable and operational inharsh operating conditions and can accommodate high pressures andtemperatures. Flexible pipe may be bundled and arranged into one or morecoils to facilitate transporting and using the pipe.

Coils of pipe may be positioned in an “eye to the side” or “eye to thesky” orientation. When the flexible pipe is coiled and is disposed withits interior channel facing upwards, such that the coil is in ahorizontal orientation, then the coils of pipe are referred to as beingin an “eye to the sky” orientation. If, instead, the flexible pipe iscoiled and disposed such that the interior channel is not facingupwards, such that the coil is in an upright or vertical orientation,then the coils of pipe are referred to as being in an “eye to the side”orientation.

The flexible pipe may be transported as coils to various sites fordeployment (also referred to as uncoiling or unspooling). Differenttypes of devices and vehicles are currently used for loading andtransporting coils of pipe, but usually extra equipment and human manuallabor is also involved in the process of loading or unloading such coilsfor transportation and/or deployment. Such coils of pipe are often quitelarge and heavy. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved methodand apparatus for loading and unloading coils of pipe.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that arefurther described below in the detailed description. This summary is notintended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subjectmatter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope ofthe claimed subject matter.

In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a systemfor deploying a coil of spoolable pipe from a vessel that includes afirst tower configured to move longitudinally and transversely along afirst track coupled to the vessel, a second tower configured to movelongitudinally along a second track coupled to the vessel, and a coildrum assembly coupled to the first tower. The first tower is configuredto insert the coil drum assembly transversely into an interior channelof the coil when the coil drum assembly is in a retracted position, thecoil drum assembly is configured to support the coil when the coil drumassembly is in an extended position and rotate during deployment of thespoolable pipe, and the first tower and the second tower are configuredto move the coil drum assembly vertically.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to amethod that includes moving a first tower and a coil drum assemblycoupled to the first tower longitudinally along a first track coupled toa vessel to a location of a first coil of spoolable pipe, moving asecond tower longitudinally along a second track coupled to the vesselto the location of the first coil of spoolable pipe, retracting a coildrum assembly into a retracted position, moving the first towertransversely along the first track to insert the coil drum assembly intoan interior channel of the first coil when the coil drum assembly is inthe retracted position, extending the coil drum assembly into anextended position to support the first coil, moving the coil drumassembly upwardly using the first tower and the second tower, androtating the coil drum assembly to deploy the first coil.

Other aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will beapparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a coil deployment system according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a coil of spoolablepipe according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a coil deploymentsystem according to embodiments of the present disclosure

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of a coil deployment systemaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a coil deploymentsystem according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a coil deploymentsystem according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a coil deploymentsystem according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a coil drum assemblyaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a top view of an embodiment of a coil deployment system on avessel according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a top view of an embodiment of a coil deployment system on avessel according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a top view of an embodiment of a coil deployment system on avessel according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a top view of an embodiment of a coil deployment system on avessel according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a swaging systemaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a swaging systemaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a side view of an embodiment of a swaging system according toembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a swaging systemaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to systems usedfor deploying coils of spoolable pipe. The coils of pipe may beself-supported, for example, using bands to hold coils together. Coildeployment systems according to embodiments of the present disclosuremay include a first tower configured to move along a first track, asecond tower configured to move along a second track, and a coil drumassembly coupled to the first tower. The coil deployment system may beused to handle a plurality of coils disposed on the deck of a vessel.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below withreference to the figures. In one aspect, embodiments disclosed hereinrelate to embodiments for deploying coils of spoolable pipe into a bodyof water from vessels having the coil deployment system.

As used herein, the term “coupled” or “coupled to” may indicateestablishing either a direct or indirect connection, and is not limitedto either unless expressly referenced as such. The term “set” may referto one or more items. Wherever possible, like or identical referencenumerals are used in the figures to identify common or the sameelements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain featuresand certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale forpurposes of clarification.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a coil deploymentsystem 10 for deploying a coil 12 of spoolable pipe 14 from a vessel 16.Spoolable pipe 14 may refer to any type of flexible pipe or pipingcapable of being bent into a coil. Such coils of spoolable pipe 14 mayreduce the amount of space taken up by pipe during manufacturing,shipping, transportation, and deployment compared to rigid pipe that isnot capable of being bent into a coil.

Pipe, as understood by those of ordinary skill, may be a tube to conveyor transfer any water, gas, oil, or any type of fluid known to thoseskilled in the art. The spoolable pipe 14 may be made of any type ofmaterials including without limitation plastics, metals, a combinationthereof, composites (e.g., fiber reinforced composites), or othermaterials known in the art. One type of spoolable pipe 14 is flexiblepipe, which is used frequently in many applications, including withoutlimitation, both onshore and offshore oil and gas applications. Flexiblepipe may include Bonded or Unbonded Flexible Pipe, Flexible CompositePipe (FCP), Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP), or ReinforcedThermoplastic Pipe (RTP). A FCP or RTP pipe may itself be generallycomposed of several layers. In one or more embodiments, a flexible pipemay include a high-density polyethylene (“HDPE”) liner having areinforcement layer and an HDPE outer cover layer. Thus, flexible pipemay include different layers that may be made of a variety of materialsand also may be treated for corrosion resistance. For example, in one ormore embodiments, pipe used to make up a coil of pipe may have acorrosion protection shield layer that is disposed over another layer ofsteel reinforcement. In this steel-reinforced layer, helically woundsteel strips may be placed over a liner made of thermoplastic pipe.Flexible pipe may be designed to handle a variety of pressures,temperatures, and conveyed fluids. Further, flexible pipe may offerunique features and benefits versus steel/carbon steel pipe lines in thearea of corrosion resistance, flexibility, installation speed andre-usability. Another type of spoolable pipe is coiled tubing. Coiledtubing may be made of steel. Coiled tubing may also have a corrosionprotection shield layer.

Vessel 16 may refer to ships, barges, boats, watercrafts, or any othertype of water-borne vehicles capable of being used for offshoredeployment of spoolable pipe 14 into a body of water 18, such as a lake,sea, or ocean. The coil deployment system 10 also includes a coil drumassembly 20, a first tower 22, and a second tower 24, which are alldescribed in more detail below. In certain embodiments, the coil drumassembly 20 is coupled to the first tower 22, and both the coil drumassembly 20 and the first tower 22 may be configured to move along afirst track 26 coupled to the vessel 16. The second tower 24 may beconfigured to move along a second track 28 coupled to the vessel 16. Incertain embodiments, the coil deployment system 10 may include otherancillary equipment 30 described in detail below for handling thespoolable pipe 14 as it deploys from the coil drum assembly 20 andguiding the spoolable pipe 14 into the body of water 18. In furtherembodiments, the coil deployment system 10 may be removably coupled tothe vessel 16. In other words, the coil deployment system 10 may beinstalled on vessels 16 not specifically designed for deploying coils 12and then removed from the vessels 16 after deployment of the coils 12 iscomplete. In other embodiments, vessels 16 may be built or constructedto be used specifically for the coil deployment system 10 and the coildeployment system 10 may be permanently installed on the vessels 16. Incertain embodiments, vessel 16 may refer to non-water-borne vehicles,such as the bed of a land-based vehicle. Thus, references to ships anddeployment into water are meant to be non-limiting.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the coil 12 ofspoolable pipe 14. The coil 12 may be defined by an axial axis ordirection 40, a radial axis or direction 42, and a circumferential axisor direction 44. The coil 12 may be formed by wrapping the spoolablepipe 14 into a coil with an interior channel 46 formed axially 40therethrough, where the coil 12 may be moved as a single package orbundle of coiled pipe, as shown in FIG. 2. Each complete turn of coiledpipe may be referred to as a wrap of pipe. Multiple wraps of pipe in thecoil 12 may be configured in columns along the axial direction 40 of thecoil 12 and/or configured in layers along the radial direction 42 of thecoil 12. For example, multiple columns of wraps may be formed along theaxial direction 40 of the coil 12, where an axial dimension 48 of thecoil 12 is based on the diameter of the pipe 14 and the number and axial40 position of wraps forming the coil 12. Further, multiple layers ofwraps may be formed along the radial direction 42 of the coil 12, wherea radial dimension 50 of the coil 12 is based on the diameter of thepipe and the number and radial 42 position of the wraps forming the coil12. In certain embodiments, a weight of the coil 12 may exceed 40,000pounds (18,144 kilograms), or exceed 60,000 pounds (27,216 kilograms).

As shown in FIG. 2, the coil 12 of spoolable pipe 14 may be one or morelayers (e.g., layers 52 and 54) of pipe packaged or bundled into thecoil 12. The coil 12 may include at least one or more layers of pipethat have been coiled into a particular shape or arrangement. As shownin FIG. 2, the coil 12 is coiled into a substantially cylindrical shape,where the axial dimension 48 of the coil 12 is measured between outeredges 56 and 58 of the coil 12.

As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the spoolable pipe 14used to make up the coil 12 shown in FIG. 2 may be coiled using spoolersor other coiler machines suited for such a function. Those of ordinaryskill will recognize that the present disclosure is not limited to anyparticular form of coiler or other device that may be used to form pipeinto a coil. Winding pipe into a coil, such as coil 12, assists whentransporting pipe, which may be several hundred feet in length in one ormore embodiments. Further, the coil 12 may be wound to facilitatedeployment of the coil. Deployment, as used herein, may refer to theaction of unspooling or unwinding the spoolable pipe 14 from the coil12.

After being assembled into a coil, the coil 12 shown in FIG. 2 mayinclude the interior channel 46 formed axially 40 through the coil 12.The interior channel 46 is a bore disposed generally in the center ofthe coil 12. The interior channel 46 may be substantiallycircular-shaped. The coil 12 may have an outer diameter (OD) and aninner diameter (ID), where the inner diameter is defined by the interiorchannel 46.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the coildeployment system 10, which may be defined by a longitudinal axis ordirection 70, a transverse axis or direction 72, and a vertical axis ordirection 74. The coil 12 of spoolable pipe 14 is disposed on the coildrum assembly 20 (not visible in FIG. 3), which is coupled to anddisposed between the first tower 22 and the second tower 24. Thecomponents, features, and operation of the coil drum assembly 20 aredescribed in more detail below.

The first tower 22 is configured to move longitudinally 70 andtransversely 72 along the first track 26 via components that aredescribed in more detail below. The first tower 22 includes one or morestructural members 76 to support these components and provide an overallstructure for the first tower 22. The structural members 76 may be madefrom steel beams, columns, rods, composite structural members, and soforth, coupled to one another via various fastening techniques, such aswelding, brazing, bolts, rivets, screws, and so forth. In addition, thefirst tower 22 may include one or more platforms 78 and ladders (notshown) to provide personnel access to the components of the first tower22.

The second tower 24 is configured to move longitudinally 70 along thesecond track 28 via components that are described in more detail below.As shown in FIG. 3, the first and second tracks 26 and 28 may begenerally parallel to one another. The second tower 24 also includes oneor more structural members 76 and one or more platforms 78 similar tothose of the first tower 22. In certain embodiments, the second tower 24may be configured identically to the first tower 22 to enable the secondtower 24 to move longitudinally 70 and transversely 72 along the secondtrack 28.

Both the first track 26 and the second track 28 are coupled to the deckof the vessel 16 (not shown in FIG. 3). Further, the first tower 22 andthe second tower 24 are configured to move the coil drum assembly 20vertically 74. In certain embodiments, the coil 12 may rest on a skid 80prior to handling by the coil deployment system 10. The skid 80 mayinclude a platform 82 that has a concave curvature shape on its upwardfacing side that generally corresponds to the outer circumferentialshape of the coil 12. The skid 80 may be made from metal, wood, plastic,or other materials capable of supporting the weight of the coil 12.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the coil deploymentsystem 10. Again, the coil 12 of spoolable pipe 14 is disposed on thecoil drum assembly 20 (not visible in FIG. 4), which is coupled to anddisposed between the first tower 22 and the second tower 24. As shown inFIG. 4, the coil 12 has the axial dimension 48 and during deployment ofthe coil 12, the first tower 22 and second tower 24 are spaced apartfrom one another by a tower spacing 84 that is approximately equal to orgreater than the axial dimension 48. Thus, the first tower 22 and secondtower 24 provide at least some support to the outer edges 56 and 58 sothe coil 12 does not expand or move beyond the tower spacing 84 duringdeployment. In certain embodiments, the first tower 22 and second tower24 may each include a coil containment system 86 configured to containthe spoolable pipe 14 between the coil containment systems 86. Forexample, the coil containment system 86 may include a flange or otherstructure with a square, rectangular, circular, oval, or other shapethat faces the outer edges 56 and 58, and may or may not rotate togetherwith the coil deployment drum 20. In some embodiments, the coilcontainment system 86 may include one or more rollers 88 to reducefriction between the spoolable pipe 14 and the coil containment system86. The coil containment system 86 and/or the rollers 88 may be movabletransversely 72 via one or more adjustment wheels 89 to be touching orproximate to the outer edges 56 and 58. In other embodiments, theadjustment wheels 89 may be used to further adjust the position of thecoil containment system 86 and/or the rollers 88, such as radially 42 orcircumferentially 44, thereby enabling the coil containment system 86 tobe used with coils 12 with different dimensions. In further embodiments,the coil containment system 86 may include other features for frictionreduction, such as a low-friction surface, bearings, and so forth. Incertain embodiments the coil containment system 86 may be coupleddirectly to the coil drum assembly 20 rather than being components ofthe first and second towers 22 and 24.

In addition, the first tower 22 is configured to move longitudinally 70and transversely 72 along the first track 26. The second tower 24 isconfigured to move longitudinally 70 along the second track 28. Further,the first tower 22 and the second tower 24 are configured to move thecoil drum assembly 20 vertically 74. Components for achieving suchmovement are described in detail below.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the coildeployment system 10. The coil 12 is omitted in FIG. 5 to provide bettervisibility of the various components of the coil deployment system 10,although the skid 80 is shown to indicate the position of the coil 12.As shown in FIG. 5, the coil drum assembly 20 is in a retracted positionto enable the coil drum assembly 20 to be inserted into the interiorchannel 46 of the coil 12. The components and operation of the coil drumassembly 20 are described in more detail below.

As shown in FIG. 5, the coil drum assembly 20 is coupled to the firsttower 22. In certain embodiments, the first tower 22 includes arotational drive 90 configured to rotate the coil drum assembly 20. Incertain embodiments, the rotational drive 90 may include a motor thatengages with the coil drum assembly 20 directly (e.g., couples torotating component of the coil drum assembly 20) or indirectly (e.g.,through one or more gears or a transmission). The rotational drive 90may be used to deploy the spoolable pipe 14 (e.g., advance the spoolablepipe 14 from the coil 12) or to re-spool the spoolable pipe 14 (e.g.,retract the spoolable pipe 14 back onto the coil 12). Re-spooling may beused to recover portions of spoolable pipe 14 that have already beendeployed. A gearbox reduction assembly may be used for re-spooling incertain embodiments. The operation of the rotational drive 90 isdescribed in more detail below.

In further embodiments, the first tower 22 and the second tower 24 eachincludes a lift assembly 92 configured to move the coil drum assembly 20vertically 74. In certain embodiments, each lift assembly 92 includes alifting platform 94 and one or more hydraulic cylinders 96 coupled tothe respective tower 22 or 24 and the lifting platform 94. For example,the lifting platform 94 may slidingly engage with one or more structuralmembers 76 of the respective tower 22 or 24, and the hydraulic cylinder96 may be extended or retracted. Thus, to move the respective liftassembly 92 vertically 74 downward (e.g., toward the respective track 26or 28), the hydraulic cylinder 96 may be extended to move the liftingplatform 94 away from the stationary portion of the hydraulic cylinder96. Similarly, to move the respective lift assembly 92 vertically 74upward (e.g., away from the respective track 26 or 28), the hydrauliccylinder 96 may be retracted to move the lifting platform 94 toward thestationary portion of the hydraulic cylinder 96. In other embodiments, avariety of different techniques may be used for moving the lift assembly92 and coil drum assembly 20 vertically 74. For example, a rack andpinion system may be used or the coil drum assembly 20 may be coupled toa rotating drive of the lift assembly 92 via a cable or belt to enablethe coil drum assembly 20 to be lifted or lowered. Alternatively, thelift assembly 92 may include wheels or a continuous track that movealong the structural member 76 to propel or push the lift assembly 92and coil drum assembly 20 vertically 74.

In yet further embodiments, the first tower 22 and the second tower 24each includes a longitudinal drive 98 configured to move the first tower22 longitudinally 70 along the first track 26 and the second tower 24longitudinally 70 along the second track 28 respectively. In certainembodiments, each longitudinal drive 98 includes a gripping assembly 100slidingly engaged with the respective track 26 or 28 and a hydrauliccylinder 102 coupled to the respective tower 22 or 24 and the grippingassembly 100. For example, the gripping assembly 100 may slidinglyengage with a horizontal strip 104 of the respective track 26 or 28. Thegripping assembly 100 may include one or more calipers, fingers, pads,and so forth (not shown in FIG. 5), that can be actuated to gripopposite sides of the horizontal strip 104. When the calipers or othergripping components of the gripping assembly 100 are not actuated, thegripping assembly 100 may be able to freely slide along the horizontalstrip 104. The hydraulic cylinder 102 may be extended or retracted.Thus, to move the respective tower 22 or 24 longitudinally 70, thehydraulic cylinder 102 may first be extended to move the grippingassembly 100 away from the respective tower 22 or 24 while the grippingassembly 100 is not actuated (e.g., not gripping the horizontal strip104). Next, the gripping assembly 100 may be actuated to grip thehorizontal strip 104. Finally, the hydraulic cylinder 102 may beretracted to pull the respective tower 22 or 24 longitudinally 70 towardthe gripping assembly 100. This process may be repeated to move therespective tower 22 or 24 a desired distance longitudinally 70 along therespective track 26 or 28. In other embodiments, a variety of differenttechniques may be used for moving the respective tower 22 or 24longitudinally 70. For example, the respective tower 22 or 24 may becoupled to a rotating drive via a cable or belt to enable the respectivetower 22 or 24 to be pulled longitudinally 70. Alternatively, therespective tower 22 or 24 may include wheels or a continuous track thatenables the respective tower 22 or 24 to be propelled or pushedlongitudinally 70 along the respective track 26 or 28. In furtherembodiments, the hydraulic cylinder 102 may be replaced with a rack andpinion system.

In certain embodiments, the first tower 22 includes a drag brakeconfigured to apply a braking force to stop or slow the rotation of thecoil drum assembly 20. For example, the drag brake may apply a brakingforce directly to a rotating component of the coil drum assembly 20, therotational drive 90, or another rotating component of the first tower22. The drag brake may be a caliper brake, a drum brake, a disc brake, atransmission, or other device capable of slowing or stopping therotation of the coil drum assembly 20. The drag brake may be used toprovide back tension to the coil drum assembly 20 during deployment ofthe spoolable pipe 14. In other words, the drag brake may help preventundesired unspooling, free-spooling, or backlash of the spoolable pipe14. In some embodiments, the functionality of the drag brake may beincorporated into the rotational drive 90.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the coildeployment system 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the first tower 22 and thecoil drum assembly 20 have been moved transversely 72 toward the secondtower 24. As such, the first tower 22 is separated from the second tower24 by the tower spacing 84. In addition, the coil drum assembly 20 iscoupled to the lift assembly 92 of the second tower 24. Thus, the liftassemblies 92 of the first tower 22 and second tower 24 can be usedtogether to move the coil drum assembly 20 vertically 74.

In certain embodiments, the first tower 22 includes a transverse drive120 configured to move the first tower 22 transversely 72. In certainembodiments, the transverse drive 120 includes a hydraulic cylinder 122coupled to a movable portion 124 of the first tower 22 and a fixedportion 126. For example, the movable portion 124 may slidingly engagewith the fixed portion 126. The hydraulic cylinder 122 may be extendedor retracted. Thus, to move the movable portion 124 of the first tower22 transversely 72 toward the second tower 24, the hydraulic cylinder122 may be extended to move the movable portion 124 away from thestationary portion of the hydraulic cylinder 122. Similarly, to move themovable portion 124 of the first tower 22 transversely 72 away from thesecond tower 24, the hydraulic cylinder 122 may be retracted to move themovable portion 124 toward the stationary portion of the hydrauliccylinder 122. In other embodiments, a variety of different techniquesmay be used for moving the first tower 22 transversely 72. For example,a rack and pinion system may be used or the movable portion 124 may becoupled to a rotating drive of the fixed portion 126 via a cable or beltto enable the first tower 22 to be moved toward or away from the secondtower 24. Alternatively, the movable portion 124 may include wheels or acontinuous track that move along the fixed portion 126 to propel or pushthe first tower 22 transversely 72.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the coildeployment system 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the coil drum assembly 20 hasbeen moved vertically 74 upward (e.g., away from first track 26 andsecond track 28). As such, there is additional clearance between thespoolable pipe 14 and the deck of the vessel 16 as the coil 12 deploys.In the illustrated embodiment, the hydraulic cylinders 96 of the liftassemblies 92 of the first tower 22 and second tower 24 have beenretracted to move the lifting platforms 94 toward the stationaryportions of the hydraulic cylinders 96, thereby raising the coil drumassembly 20 vertically 74. In this position, the outer edges 56 and 58of the coil 12 may be adjacent to the coil containment system 86 and/orrollers 88 to provide sufficient containment of the deploying spoolablepipe 14. After the spoolable pipe 14 has been deployed from the coil 12,the coil drum assembly 20 may be moved vertically 74 downward (e.g.,toward the first track 26 and second track 28) via the lift assemblies92, the first tower 22 moved transversely 72 away from the second tower24 via the transverse drive 120, and the first tower 22 and second tower24 moved longitudinally 70 via the longitudinal drives 98 to anothercoil 12 for deployment. When the transverse drive 120 is used to movethe first tower 22 and coil drum assembly 20 away from the second tower24, the first tower 22 and coil drum assembly 20 can be movedlongitudinally 70 without contacting coils 12 disposed between the firstand second tracks 26 and 28. Thus, the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder122 may be selected to move the first tower 22 and coil drum assembly 20sufficiently transversely 72 to avoid contact with coils 12 having amaximum expected axial dimension 48.

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the coil drumassembly 20. As shown in FIG. 8, the coil drum assembly 20 includes adrum frame 140 and a plurality of drum segments 142. The drum frame 140includes a post 144 and a pair of spoke frames 146 each mounted to oneend of the post 144. Post 144 can be a solid bar, but is preferably ahollow tube with open ends for providing a place to grab and manipulatethe coil drum assembly 20. Each spoke frame 146 includes expandablespokes 148, extending radially 42 away from post 144. Each expandablespoke 148 includes a hollow tube 150 having a proximal end at the end ofpost 144 and a distal end away from post 144, and a rigid member 152(e.g. a solid bar or hollow tube) that telescopically slides in hollowtube 150. A plurality of struts 154 are each mounted to and extendbetween post 144 and one of the expandable spokes 148, or between one ofthe expandable spokes 148 to another of the expandable spokes 148.Struts 154 provide mechanical stability, rigidity and support.

The plurality of drum segments 142 are each mounted to the ends ofcorresponding expandable spokes 148 of spoke frames 146 (parallel to andspaced apart from post 144). Each drum segment 142 includes a rigidmember 156 (e.g. solid bar or hollow tube), a curved plate 158 extendingover the rigid member 156, and a plurality of gussets 160 supporting thecurved plate 158 on the rigid member 156. The coil drum assembly 20 maybe made of steel or other rigid metal. The expandable spokes 148 andrigid members 156 may have a rectangular cross section for betterrigidity and strength.

Hydraulic cylinders 162 are connected between the post 144 (viaconnectors 164) and the drum segments 142 of the expandable spokes 148via similar connectors. Hydraulic cylinders 162 (also commonly calledlinear hydraulic motors) are mechanical actuators. Hydraulic cylinders162 are used to move the expandable spokes 148 between a retractedposition and an extended position. In the retracted position, the curvedplates 158 define a cylindrical section of a smaller diameter than thatwhen in the extended position, as further explained below.

The coil drum assembly 20 is configured to be used to manipulate and/ordeploy the coils 12 of spoolable pipe 14. In addition, the coil drumassembly 20 is scalable to work with coils 12 of varying sizes andweights. The telescoping action of the expandable spokes 148 allows thecoil drum assembly 20 to contract to a diameter small enough to provideclearance for the coil drum assembly 20 to be inserted into the interiorchannel 46 of the coil 12. Once the coil drum assembly 20 is insertedinto the coil 12 of spoolable pipe 14, the expandable spokes 148 areexpanded to contact the interior channel 46 of the coil 12 with all fourdrum segments 142 with enough pressure on the inside of the coil 12 suchthat the coil 12 is secured to the coil drum assembly 20. Uponsuccessfully inserting and securing the coil drum assembly 20 into thecoil 12 of spoolable pipe 14, the coil drum assembly 20 and coil 12 canbe lifted by the first and second towers 22 and 24. For example, thepost 144 can be used by the first and second towers 22 and 24 to graband manipulate the coil drum assembly 20 and thus the coil 12 securedthereto.

Further, although one example of the coil drum assembly 20 is describedherein, it is understood that embodiments of the coil deployment system10 are not limited to only this embodiment. Instead, various embodimentsof the coil drum assembly 20 that use other techniques for expanding andcontracting, that have different configurations (e.g., different numbersof drum segments 142), or that have additional features may be usedinterchangeably with the coil deployment system 10. For example,although FIG. 8 shows four drum segments 142, other embodiments of thecoil drum assembly 20 may include two, three, five, six, or more drumsegments 142. Such embodiments of coil drum assemblies 20 enable thecoil deployment system 10 to be used to deploy coils 12 of spoolablepipe 14, which may provide certain advantages over other deploymenttechniques, such as deploying pipe using reels. For example, one coildrum assembly 20 may be used to handle many coils 12 without thelogistics associated with empty reels or spools. In addition, use of thecoil drum assembly 20 enables heavier coils 12 of spoolable pipe 14 tobe handled and transported because the weight of reels or spools is notinvolved.

FIG. 9 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the coil deploymentsystem 10 on the vessel 16, which may be defined by a bow 190, a stern192, a port side 194, and a starboard side 196. In particular, FIG. 9illustrates the first step in deploying the spoolable pipe 14 using thecoil deployment system 10. As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of coils 12are disposed longitudinally 70 between the first and second tracks 26and 28, which also run longitudinally 70 along the deck of the vessel16. The interior channels 46 of the coils 12 are generally alignedtransversely 72 (e.g., “eye to the side” orientation). Although sixcoils 12 are shown in FIG. 9, the coil deployment system 10 can be usedto deploy any number of coils 12. In addition, although the first andsecond tracks 26 and 28 are shown generally aligned with the centerlineof the vessel 16 in FIG. 9, the first and second tracks 26 and 28 may bealigned in any direction in other embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 9, the first tower 22 may be disposed on the starboardside 196 and the second tower 24 may be disposed on the port side 194.However, the positions of the first and second towers 22 and 24 may beswapped in other embodiments. To begin the deployment process, the firstand second towers 22 and 24 are moved longitudinally 70 using thelongitudinal drives 98 so the first and second towers 22 and 24 aregenerally aligned with the coil 12 closest to the stern 192 (e.g., firstcoil). To speed the deployment process, both the first and second towers22 and 24 may move simultaneously, but in other embodiments, the firstand second towers 22 and 24 could move separately. During the movementof the first tower 22 longitudinally 70, the first tower 22 is locatedtransversely 72 away from the second tower 24 via the transverse drive120 to enable the coil deployment drum 20 to avoid contact with thecoils 12. Once the first tower 22 is aligned with the coil 12, thetransverse drive 120 is used to insert the coil deployment drum 20 intothe interior channel 46 of the coil 12 and to couple the coil deploymentdrum 20 to the second tower 24. Prior to insertion into the coil 12, thecoil deployment drum 20 may be retracted into the retracted position ifthe drum 20 is not already in that position. Next, the coil deploymentdrum 20 is extended into the extended position to secure the coil 12 tothe coil deployment drum 20. The lift assemblies 92 of the first andsecond towers 22 and 24 may then be used to lift the coil 12 away fromthe deck of the vessel 16. This step provides a gap between the coil 12and the skid 80 in addition to enabling the spoolable pipe 14 to clearthe deck of the vessel 16 during deployment. Next, the rotational drive90 of the first tower 22 is actuated to begin advancing a pipe pullinghead 198 coupled to an end of the spoolable pipe 14 from the coil 12 inthe direction of arrow 200. In other embodiments, another component ofthe coil deployment system 10 may be used to advance the spoolable pipe14 instead of the rotational drive 90.

During deployment of the spoolable pipe 14, it may pass through or behandled by one or more components of the ancillary equipment 30, asdiscussed below. In various embodiments, one or more of these componentsof the ancillary equipment 30 may be omitted depending on the particulardeployment situation. For example, a re-rounder 202 may be used tore-round the spoolable pipe 14. In certain embodiments, the spoolablepipe 14 may have an oval cross-sectional shape when coiled. In otherwords, the spoolable pipe 14 may not have a circular cross-sectionalshape. Embodiments of the pipe re-rounder 202 may use rollers or othercomponents with circular, partially-circular, or other shapes tore-shape the spoolable pipe 14 to have a circular or substantiallycircular cross-sectional shape when the rollers or other components areengaged with or pressed against the spoolable pipe 14.

In certain embodiments, the spoolable pipe 14 may be manipulated using awinch 204 (e.g., an abandonment and recovery winch or A/R winch), whichmay be used together with a sheave assembly 206 (e.g., A/R sheaveassembly). For example, the winch 204 may be used to position the pipepulling head 198 or other portions of the spoolable pipe 14 through orat the other components of the ancillary equipment 30.

In other embodiments, the spoolable pipe 14 may pass through a swagingsystem 208 that may be used to swage fittings to an end of the spoolablepipe 14, as described in more detail below.

In further embodiments, the spoolable pipe 14 may pass through atensioner 210 that may be used to apply tension to the spoolable pipe14. Specifically, the tensioner 210 may include two or four tracks topull the spoolable pipe 14 through the tensioner 210 at a desiredtension. When the tensioner 210 is used to pull the spoolable pipe 14,the rotational drive 90 of the first tower 22 may not be used. In otherwords, the rotational drive 90 may be used initially to guide thespoolable pipe 14 to the tensioner 210, which then handles the pullingof the spoolable pipe 14 from the coil 12.

In yet further embodiments, the spoolable pipe 14 may pass through aweight station 212, which may be used to add weights to the deployingspoolable pipe 14 to cause the spoolable pipe 14 to sink to a desireddepth in the body of water 18. Finally, in some embodiments, thespoolable pipe 14 may pass through a chute 214, which may be used tomaintain a desired bend radius of the spoolable pipe 14 as it enters thebody of water 18. The chute 214 may be coupled to the stern 192 of thevessel 16 and be configured to rotate or pivot out of the way when notused. In addition, the components of the chute 214 may be selected tosupport the weight of the deploying spoolable pipe 14. After passingthrough the one or more components of the ancillary equipment 30 (e.g.,re-rounder 202, winch 204, sheave assembly 206, swaging system 208,tensioner 210, weight station 212, or chute 214), the spoolable pipe 14continues to be paid out until the coil 12 is emptied. In addition,although the components of the ancillary equipment 30 are shown in aparticular sequence in FIG. 9, these components may be positioned inother sequences in other embodiments and one or more components may beomitted.

FIG. 10 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the coil deploymentsystem 10 on the vessel 16. After the first coil 12 is emptied, theremaining end of the spoolable pipe 14 may be held by the tensioner 210.Next, the first tower 22 is moved transversely 72 away from the secondtower 24 using the transverse drive 120 in the direction of arrow 230.Both the first tower 22 and the second tower 24 may then be movedlongitudinally 70 toward the bow 190 in the direction of arrows 232using the longitudinal drives 98 until the first and second towers 22and 24 are aligned with a second coil 12. Although the second coil 12 isshown adjacent to the location of the first coil 12, in otherembodiments, the coil deployment system 10 may be used to deploy coils12 in any order. Next, the lift assemblies 92 of the first and secondtowers 22 and 24 are used to lower the coil drum assembly 20 toward thedeck of the vessel 16. In other embodiments, the lift assemblies 92 ofthe first and second towers 22 and 24 may be used to lower the coil drumassembly 20 prior to moving the first and second towers 22 and 24longitudinally 70. In further embodiments, the lift assembly 92 of thefirst tower 22 may be used to lower the coil drum assembly 20 prior tomoving the first tower 22 transversely 72 away from the second tower 24.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the coil deploymentsystem 10 on the vessel 16. After the first and second towers 22 and 24are aligned with the second coil 12 as shown in FIG. 10, the steps fordeploying the spoolable pipe 14 described with respect to FIG. 9 may berepeated. Namely, the transverse drive 120 is used to insert the coildeployment drum 20 into the interior channel 46 of the coil 12. Next,the coil deployment drum 20 is extended into the extended position tosecure the coil 12 to the coil deployment drum 20. The lift assemblies92 of the first and second towers 22 and 24 may then be used to lift thecoil 12 away from the deck of the vessel 16. Next, the rotational drive90 of the first tower 22 is actuated to begin advancing the spoolablepipe 14 from the coil 12 in the direction of arrow 200 to the swagingsystem 208. The winch 204 may be used to move a fitting 250 to theswaging system 208. Next the ends of the spoolable pipe 14 (e.g., endfrom first coil 12 and end from second coil 12) may be swaged togetherby the fitting 250 using a swaging machine or device of the swagingsystem 208. In other embodiments, different pipe connection techniquesmay be used at the swaging system 208, including, but not limited to,bolting, screwing, welding, brazing, electrofusion, cementing, flanging,threading, and so forth. Once the ends of spoolable pipe 14 are joinedtogether, the spoolable pipe 14 from the second coil 12 may continue tobe paid out until emptied, similar to how the spoolable pipe 14 from thefirst coil 12 was paid out as described above.

FIG. 12 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of the coil deploymentsystem 10 on the vessel 16. After the second coil 12 is deployed asshown in FIG. 11, the previous steps may be repeated until the desirednumber of coils 12 have been deployed. As shown in FIG. 12, the firstand second towers 22 and 24 are located at the location of the last coil12 that was deployed. The end of the spoolable pipe 14 may then besecured in the tensioner 210 and a pipe abandonment head 260 swaged ontothe end of the spoolable pipe 14 using the swaging system 208. Then,steps that are used to abandon other offshore pipes may be utilized,such as securing a cable from the winch 204 to the abandonment head 260and paying out the cable from the winch 204 until the abandonment head260 has reached the seabed. The vessel 16 may then be moved to anotherlocation to deploy other coils 12 or back to shore to pick up additionalcoils 12 for further deployment. In certain embodiments, the coildeployment system 10 may be removed from the vessel 16 to be used onother vessels 16 or the same vessel 16 at a later time.

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the swagingsystem 208. In the illustrated embodiment, the swaging system 208includes a fixed platform 270 and a movable platform 272. The fixedplatform 270 may be coupled to the deck of the vessel 16 and the movableplatform 272 may slide transversely 72 over the fixed platform 270 viaone or more wheels 274. When the swaging system 208 is in a collapsedposition as shown in FIG. 13, the movable platform 272 covers the fixedplatform 270 such that the movable platform 272 is out of the path ofspoolable pipe 14 being deployed.

As shown in FIG. 13, the movable platform 272 includes severalcomponents, such as a swage machine 276 disposed on an upper platform278 that is coupled to a lower platform 280 via a plurality of hydrauliccylinders 282. The swage machine 276 may be used to swage variousfittings or connectors onto ends of the spoolable pipe 14, therebyjoining together spoolable pipe 14 from different coils 12. The swagemachine 276 may also be used to swage the abandonment head 260 onto thespoolable pipe 14. In certain embodiments, the swage machine 276 mayinclude one or more hydraulic cylinders 284 that are used to slide oneor more dies 286 over the fitting, thereby exerting a compressive loadon the fitting and coupling the fitting to the spoolable pipe 14 in aleak-proof manner. The swage machine 276 may include a first section 288and a second section 290 that move apart from one another to enable thespoolable pipe 14 to be inserted into the swage machine 276. In otherwords, the top of the swage machine 276 opens to accommodate thespoolable pipe 14 and provide access to the dies 286. For example, theswage machine 276 may include a first pivot 292 and a second pivot 294to enable the first and section sections 288 and 290 to move apart fromone another. In addition, the swage machine may include pivotinghydraulic cylinders 296 to assist with pivoting the first and section288 and 290 open and closed. In certain embodiments, the swage machine276 may include one or more pins 298 to join the first and secondsections 288 and 290 in a closed position during the swaging process.

In certain embodiments, the swage machine 276 may include a pivot 300 toenable the entire swage machine 276 to be rotated about the pivot 300,which may provide additional degree of freedom for the swage machine 276to adapt to different positions and orientations of the spoolable pipe14 being swaged. In further embodiments, the plurality of hydrauliccylinders 282 may be used to move the upper platform 278 vertically 74away from the lower platform 280, thereby providing a vertical 74 degreeof freedom for the swage machine 276. In yet further embodiments, theplurality of hydraulic cylinders 282 may be configured to moveindependently from one another to enable the upper platform 278 to bepitched at a variety of different angles and orientations with respectto the lower platform 280, again providing further degrees of freedomfor the swage machine 276. The additional degrees of freedom provided bythe swage machine 276 may be useful to accommodate different positions,angles, and orientations of the spoolable pipe 14 as the spoolable pipe14 enters the swaging system 208. Further, although one type of swagemachine is shown in FIG. 13, some embodiments of the swaging system 208may use other swaging or connection techniques for connecting fittingsto the spoolable pipe 14 and joining together ends of the spoolable pipe14.

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the swagingsystem 208. As shown in FIG. 14, the movable platform 272 has movedtransversely 72 away from the fixed platform 270 via the one or morewheels 274 to be in an expanded position. In other words, the swagemachine 276 has moved into position to be used for swaging the spoolablepipe 12. Thus, only a small portion of the movable platform 272 coversthe fixed platform 270. As such, the combination of fixed platform 270,movable platform 272, and wheels 274 provides a transverse 72 degree offreedom for the swage machine 276. In certain embodiments, one or morehydraulic cylinders 310 may be used to move the movable platform 272away from the fixed platform 270. In further embodiments, one or moreother techniques may be used for moving the movable platform 272, suchas rack and pinion drives, cables, belts, gears, transmissions, and soforth.

FIG. 15 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of the swaging system208. As shown in FIG. 15, the plurality of hydraulic cylinders 282 havebeen used to lift the upper platform 278 vertically 74 away from thelower platform 280. Thus, the swage machine 276 is lifted vertically 74away from the deck of the vessel 16, thereby enabling the swage machine276 to be more easily used for connecting fittings to the spoolable pipe14 and joining together ends of the spoolable pipe 14. In addition, asdiscussed above, the plurality of hydraulic cylinders 282 may moveindependently from one another to enable an entrance 320 of the swagemachine 276 to be pitched lower than an exit 322 or vice versa. Suchpitching of the swage machine 276 may be useful to accommodate differentangles of the spoolable pipe 14 as the spoolable pipe 14 enters theswage machine 276. In further embodiments, the swage machine 276 mayinclude a rotation mechanism 324 to enable the swage machine 276 (e.g.,the lower platform 280) to be rotated with respect to the movableplatform 272 as discussed in detail below.

FIG. 16 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the swagingsystem 208 in a rotated position. As discussed above, the swaging system208 may include the rotation mechanism 324 (not shown in FIG. 16) toenable the swage machine 276 to be rotated with respect to the movableplatform 272. Thus, the entrance 320 is offset from the longitudinaldirection 70, which may be useful to accommodate different angles of thespoolable pipe 14 as the spoolable pipe 14 enters the swage machine 276.The rotation mechanism 324 may include various pivots, turntables,rollers, bearings, and so forth to enable rotational movement of theswage machine 276. In certain embodiments, one or more features of theswaging system 208 may be omitted depending on the needs of a particulardeployment of spoolable pipe 14.

While the present disclosure has been described with respect to alimited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefitof this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may bedevised which do not depart from the scope of the disclosure asdescribed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure should belimited only by the attached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for deploying a coil of spoolable pipefrom a vessel, comprising: a first tower configured to movelongitudinally and transversely along a first track coupled to thevessel; a second tower configured to move longitudinally along a secondtrack coupled to the vessel; and a coil drum assembly coupled to thefirst tower, wherein the first tower is configured to insert the coildrum assembly transversely into an interior channel of the coil when thecoil drum assembly is in a retracted position, the coil drum assembly isconfigured to support the coil when the coil drum assembly is in anextended position and rotate during deployment of the spoolable pipe,and the first tower and the second tower are configured to move the coildrum assembly vertically.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the coildrum assembly comprises: a post; expandable spokes, wherein each of theexpandable spokes extends away from the post and has a distal endmovable between a retracted position and an extended position; first andsecond spoke frames mounted to the post, wherein each of the first andsecond spoke frames includes a plurality of the expandable spokes; aplurality of drum segments each mounted to the distal end of one of theexpandable spokes of the first spoke frame and to the distal end of oneof the expandable spokes of the second spoke frame, wherein the drumsegments extend parallel to the post; and a plurality of mechanicalactuators each extending between the post and one of the expandablespokes or one of the drum segments, for moving the expandable spokesbetween the retracted and extended positions.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the first tower comprises a rotational drive configured torotate the coil drum assembly, the rotational drive comprising a motor.4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first tower and the secondtower comprises a longitudinal drive configured to move the respectivetower longitudinally along the respective track, the longitudinal drivecomprising a gripping assembly slidingly engaged with the respectivetrack and a hydraulic cylinder or a rack and pinion system coupled tothe respective tower and the gripping assembly.
 5. The system of claim1, wherein each of the first tower and the second tower comprises a liftassembly configured to move the coil drum assembly vertically, the liftassembly comprising a rack and pinion system or a hydraulic cylinder. 6.The system of claim 1, wherein the first tower comprises a transversedrive configured to move the first tower transversely, the transversedrive comprising a hydraulic cylinder or a rack and pinion system. 7.The system of claim 1, wherein the first tower comprises a drag brakeconfigured to apply a braking force to stop or slow the rotation of thecoil drum assembly.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the firsttower and the second tower comprises a coil containment systemconfigured to contain the spoolable pipe disposed on the coil drumassembly between the coil containment systems, the coil containmentsystem comprising a plurality of rollers to reduce friction between thespoolable pipe and the coil containment system.
 9. The system of claim1, comprising: a re-rounder configured to re-round the spoolable pipe; aswaging system configured to swage a fitting to an end of the spoolablepipe; a tensioner configured to apply tension to the spoolable pipe; anda chute configured to maintain a desired bend radius of the spoolablepipe.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the swaging system comprises: afixed platform; a moveable platform that is configured to slidetransversely over the fixed platform; and a swage machine of the swagingsystem mounted on the movable platform, wherein the swaging system isconfigured to move the swage machine at least one of transversely,vertically, or rotationally.
 11. A method, comprising: moving a firsttower and a coil drum assembly coupled to the first tower longitudinallyalong a first track coupled to a vessel to a location of a first coil ofspoolable pipe; moving a second tower longitudinally along a secondtrack coupled to the vessel to the location of the first coil ofspoolable pipe; retracting a coil drum assembly into a retractedposition; moving the first tower transversely along the first track toinsert the coil drum assembly into an interior channel of the first coilwhen the coil drum assembly is in the retracted position; extending thecoil drum assembly into an extended position to support the first coil;moving the coil drum assembly upwardly using the first tower and thesecond tower; and rotating the coil drum assembly to deploy the firstcoil.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein retracting or extending thecoil drum assembly comprises actuating a plurality of mechanicalactuators of the coil drum assembly each extending between a post of thecoil drum assembly and one of expandable spokes of the coil drumassembly or one of drum segments of the coil drum assembly.
 13. Themethod of claim 11, comprising rotating the coil drum assembly via arotational drive of the first tower, wherein the rotational drivecomprises a motor.
 14. The method of claim 11, comprising moving each ofthe first tower and the second tower longitudinally along the respectivetrack via a longitudinal drive, wherein the longitudinal drive comprisesa gripping assembly coupled to the respective track and a hydrauliccylinder or a rack and pinion system coupled to the respective tower andthe respective track.
 15. The method of claim 11, comprising moving thecoil drum assembly vertically via a first lift assembly of the firsttower and a second lift assembly of the second tower, wherein each ofthe first and second lift assemblies comprises a rack and pinion systemor a hydraulic cylinder.
 16. The method of claim 11, comprising movingthe first tower transversely via a transverse drive comprising ahydraulic cylinder or a rack and pinion system.
 17. The method of claim11, comprising applying a braking force via a drag brake to stop or slowrotation of the coil drum assembly.
 18. The method of claim 11,comprising containing the spoolable pipe disposed on the coil drumassembly between a first coil containment system of the first tower anda second coil containment system of the second tower.
 19. The method ofclaim 11, comprising: re-rounding the spoolable pipe using a re-rounder;swaging a fitting to an end of the spoolable pipe using a swagingsystem; applying tension to the spoolable pipe using a tensioner; andmaintaining a desired bend radius of the spoolable pipe using a chute.20. The method of claim 19, comprising moving a swage machine of theswaging system at least one of transversely, vertically, orrotationally, wherein the swaging system comprises: a fixed platform;and a moveable platform that is configured to slide transversely overthe fixed platform, wherein the swage machine is mounted on the movableplatform.